How to customize the lock screen on the LG G3

LG lets you tweak the G3 lock screen to get it just how you want it

As far as lock screens go LG has long made some of the better OEM efforts. That trend continues with the new G3 and it doesn't end with what you see out of the box. There are a bunch of different options available to tailor your G3 lock screen experience from wallpapers to widgets via app shortcuts.

It's incredibly simple to change up what's on your lock screen. Everything is contained within one handy menu, and to get at it you'll need to head into Settings > Lock screen. Then the fun stuff can begin.

Unlocking options

LG G3 lockscreen

One of the major parts of any lock screen is how it let's you into – or keeps you out of – the phone. The G3 has the standard array of security tools such as Face Unlock, Pattern lock, PIN and Password entry to keep your phone secure. It also has the option to disable the lock screen entirely, have a simple swipe and LGs own Knock Code.

Knock Code is a pretty awesome way to keep your phone secure, and you can read more about it here.

LG G3 lockscreen

Each option has it's own individual settings. Take the swipe unlock, for example. With this enabled you can change the visual effect you'll see when you swipe your finger across the lock screen to unlock the phone.

Here's a quick run down of the other options available with some of the various other unlocking options:

  • Face Unlock - You need to set up a back up PIN just in case your phone doesn't recognize you for whatever reason, but you can also insist on an eye blink being required – you know, so it shouldn't be tricked by a picture – and you can spend some more time improving the face matching (including a beard recognizer!)
  • Pattern lock - Change how the pattern lock looks with three different appearances, choose whether or not to hide the pattern dots when you first turn the display on – a tap brings them up – and choose whether or not you want your pattern traced out on the screen as you go.
  • PIN lock - Choose whether or not you want the PIN pad hidden when you first turn the screen on – again, a tap brings it up – and whether or not you want the order of the numbers to be completely random each time – all it does is jumble up the keypad, sounds a little scarier in the settings!
  • Password lock - Choose whether or not you want the password entry box to be shown when you first turn the screen on – a tap again is all you need to bring it up.

Customize, customize, customize

LG G3 lockscreen

Security is important, but so is being happy with how your lock screen looks and behaves. LG has you covered with a wide selection of customizations to help you create the lock screen of your dreams:

LG G3 lockscreen

  • Wallpaper - Set a different wallpaper on your lock screen to the one on your home screen
  • Widgets - Ensure this is enabled to allow lock screen widgets to be added
  • Missed calls & new messages - Enabling provides you with an individual notification of any phone calls you don't receive and a preview of your incoming new text messages
  • Shortcuts - Specify which applications you want to see in the five spots across the bottom of the lock screen.
  • Weather animation - While not always 100% accurate if you enable this option you'll get a spiffy animation laid onto your lockscreen. Raining? Check out the water droplets
  • Contact info for lost phone - If you lose your G3 and you're really hoping to get it back you can add some contact information to its lock screen in the hope whoever finds it might get in touch.

Locking options

We've looked at options for securing, unlocking and personalizing your lock screen, but you're also able to tweak how quickly the phone locks itself again. Once more we're in the Settings > Lock screen menu and scrolling right to the very bottom presents two options under "Lock time."

Lock timer allows you to specify a time delay between the screen going off and the phone locking itself. This can be as quickly as immediately or as long as 30 minutes with a bunch of options in between. If you're happy for the screen to keep going off but don't necessarily want to be entering your PIN or Knock Code combination so often, make this value bigger.

The last option is for the power button round the back of the phone. While you're able to double tap the display to put it to sleep, your lock screen security will kick in. If you'd rather it didn't, uncheck this box and use the power button to turn the display off. If you want to make sure the phone locks when you use the power button, make sure it's checked.

So there we have it. Several options to help you personalize the lock screen experience on your LG G3. They won't all be for everyone but it's great that we've got that choice.

For more, see our LG G3 help page, and swing by our G3 forums!

Richard Devine
46 Comments
  • Love the ability to customize my G3 event the on screen control button! Nice job on your coverage of the G3 AC!
  • Is that the giant, ugly, awful NFC symbol I see up there? Why on EARTH would there ever need to be a notification for NFC at all, let alone one that large and ugly?
  • So you know it's ON.
  • Just look in Settings, like Wifi. There's no icon for wifi when it's on, just when it's connected.
  • What if you flipped it on on accident...? How would you know. ಠ益ಠ
  • Again, go into settings. Honestly, NFC is something that people either leave on or off. This 'icon for everything' crap that OEMs do needs to stop. You don't need an indicator for everything. This isn't the 1990s.
  • turn it off and the icon will disappear. big wooptie doo.
  • ...then you don't have NFC, which I actually use a lot on my no-awful-NFC-icon N5. I'm not the only peson with this opinion: http://www.androidcentral.com/whats-symbol-nfc-edition
  • WTF is N5?
  • NNNNN, obvi
  • But.... How would you know it is on? ಠ益ಠ
  • Place your phone's back to another phone, obvi. You'll need to buy two G3's for constant NFC verification.
  • But... what if I accidentally turn it on, and there is no notification to let me know I did that?
  • I think there's a way to set it up so it'll send you an email every time.
  • Or better, what if you turn it on for wallet and forget to turn it off?
  • you know people can steal your information through nfc? maybe not looking at your comments but it is possible. having a notification is a good thing just In case it was forced on or accidently turned on. hurr Posted via Android Central App
  • +1 Posted via Android Central App
  • I tend not to get overly paranoid about a service that requires you to be within 3mm of it to actually work, let alone hack. Nexus don't have an icon, and I'm sure we're all doing fine. And an icon, fine. But an icon so big and hideous only Sprint's Spark spinner icon can beat it? C'mon.
  • I didn't like that giant icon on my G2... I turned it off through Xposed.
  • I know it's probably part of an icon pack, but where can I get that wallpaper? Or is it an LG-only one?
  • Those are stock icons, and that's stock wallpaper.
  • Okay, I had a feeling they were. Thanks. But if someone managed to extract it, please direct me to a link.
  • I'm sure you could find it on Google images Posted via Android Central App
  • God I love this phone. Posted via Android Central App
  • Customize it all you want it doesn't hide how crap the screen is. I had a G3 & returned it. Firstly the screen is actually a big let down. You barely notice a difference in terms of sharpness from 1080p,the screen colours are way too pale & even less than natural,the battery life was appalling bad no thanks to that QHD screen,the phone was laggy but in it's favour the camera is great.
  • I checked out the G3 at my local store on the way home...and I'll agree the demo they had was laggy 0.o. I was very unimpressed....the discount phones had better performance than the G3 did when switching between apps, using the menu, opening any app, etc. The phone would stutter, screen would almost 'lock-up' for a split second, then finish what it was doing. I was not impressed. Maybe it was a weird demo model problem....but coming from an N5 where everything is very crisp and immediate, I was turned off. I went into the store ready to buy. I left kinda sad :(. Maybe I'll try another phone at another store to see if I have the same experience.
  • I've had my G3 for a week and have seen zero lag.. Posted via Android Central App
  • had mine for a week and a half, no battery or lag issues...
  • All I want to know is do they finally let your use the same live wallpaper as on your home screen. The g2 and other lg phones don't let you use a live wallpaper on your lockscreen Posted via my LG LS740 and The Android Central App
  • Unfortunately no. Posted via Android Central App
  • I've been trying to figure how to get rid of the Padlock Icon like in that image. Any ideas? Posted via Android Central App
  • Hey im trying to figure out the same thing , did you find a solution ?
  • I had the worse time deciding today against the g3 and m8. Went M8 bit it was such a close call Posted via Android Central App
  • I don't have the option for lock screen app shortcuts, am I missing something?
  • Never mind, it's because I had knock code on
  • If my G2 doesn't get this new UI, I'll go back to WP and never buy Android again. Posted via Android Central App using LG G2
  • Brutal... From my naked gold G3, bling bling!
  • love it
  • Is there a way to change the lockscreen clock,, unfortunately I do not like it.
  • Awesome Posted via Android Central App
  • hello!!!!! does anyone know how to remove tho lock ring off the lock screen ?
  • I've noticed a small problem with wallpapers on Android - and this goes for the LG G3 lock screen wallpaper too. If you want one of LG's own 2K wallpapers, all is well, but the moment you decide you want to use a different wallpaper, Android drops back to using it's own native wallpaper cropper app which only goes up to 1080p!!!! Your stunning, hi-res 2K image is now only available in a cropped 1080p version. Anyone know of a way around this? I can use Nova Launcher for my home screen wallpaper - that copes - but it doesn't handle the lock screen and I don't want to be tied down to using LG's limited set of wallpapers. Is there a way to add new wallpapers to LG's wallpaper gallery app, perhaps?
  • Why does my weather animation not work???
  • Help Needed.
    How to customize the following:
    I want the screen to lock itself automatically when I flip the quickcircle cover closed. How can I do that?
    It used to be like this before I did a reset.
    Thanks
  • The options for customizing the lock screen are different than mine. I don't have the option to change the 5 apps on my lock screen and I'd like to know why the hell not!
  • Nvm I found the answer.. Apparently you need to change the lock screen option to swipe to have access to those customisation settings? Man that's stupid.